"I am a galley slave to pen and ink." -Honore de Balzac

Rayearth: Prophylactic (Reply)

Title: ProphylacticAuthor: milievaChracters/Pairing: Umi, Fuu, Hikaru (Umi/Clef)Rating: TeenSummary: While waiting for Umi to finish packing for their next trip to Cephiro, Fuu notices something unexpected sitting with her friend's bag.

Author’s Note: Some point between working on my novel and harassing _d_o_w_n_ to finish Protecting You, I might have listened to a bit too much snow Patrol and been inspired to write a little something about Umi and Clef.

The plan was to write a companion to A Spring Holiday. Clef invites Umi to spend a week with him at his personal residence. Well, of course I promptly tumbled straight in the gutter with the first chapter and have since decided to delete the first scene from it all together. But then I realized I actually like this scene, so I thought I’d keep it, but as a stand-alone fic instead. Though there may be mention of it in the Umi/Clef fic later, should I finish it.

Prophylactic

“Umi-san, why do you have these?” Fuu asked, holding up the small colourful box that had been sitting beside Umi’s bag.

"I just want to be prepared," she snapped, flushing scarlet and snatching the box out of Fuu's hand and shoved it deep into her bag. "Things happen."

It wasn’t any of Fuu’s business why she thought it best to bring condoms on her visit to Clef’s house, but she knew her friend wasn’t dumb. When Umi had told the two of them what her plans for the week were, Fuu had asked her if she really thought it was a good idea. Of course Umi had staunchly denied that anything of the sort was going to happen, even though she honestly wasn’t sure herself what really was going to occur.

“Umi-san, you do know how they go on, right?” Fuu asked quietly. “Because he’s not going to know.”

That made sense. It didn’t seem as if Cephiro would have the same sort of prophylactic capabilities as Earth, but then again, Autozam was more technologically advanced, perhaps they could supply such things. The thoughts ambled through Umi’s brain for a moment more before they came to an abrupt halt, and she realized exactly what her friend had just said.

There was only one way Fuu would know that a Cephirian man wouldn’t know how to use a condom.

Tucking her last top into her bag, Umi turned to look at her friend. “Fuu?”

The blonde’s cheeks colored as she stammered, “They don’t have them in Cephiro, you know.”

Fuu was her best friend. How could she have not known? Even though it wasn’t agreed that anything would even happen between her and Clef this week, Umi knew that if something did, Fuu would be the first one she would talk to about. Right before Caldina, who would somehow figure out that something was up. How hadn’t Caldina caught it? Ferio was a pretty public figure, it wasn’t as if you could forget he existed, being a prince and all.

Prince?

“Wait!”

Umi held up a hand as if to stop her own thoughts from tumbling too far forward. Fuu politely waited for her to gather her thoughts and asked her question.

If Ferio was a prince, that would mean…

With overpowering curiosity, Umi asked, “Cephiro doesn’t exactly do the whole marriage thing, so does that make you the princess now?”

“Does what make Fuu-chan the princess?”

Hikaru appeared in the doorway.

“Nothing,” Umi answered quickly.

“I just want you to be careful, this week,” Fuu implored with a knowing look.

“Umi will be perfectly fine, Fuu. Clef will be with her. She’s safe with him.”

Pausing as she bent over to close her bag, Umi glanced back up at Fuu, as an errant thought struck her. Hoping Hikaru wouldn’t notice, she silently asked, ‘You don’t think?’ Both she and Fuu looked over at Hikaru who stood impatiently by the door. The girl had grown a bit over the past three years. She no longer looked like she was eleven, but she still barely passed for seventeen. She was still the smallest of the three of them in all respects.

Fuu forcefully shook her head. She was probably right. They definitely would have known. Hikaru wasn’t known for keeping secrets. Everything that went in her ears came straight back out her mouth.

Right?

Bag zipped up and in her hand, Umi headed for the door. “Come on, you two. We’re going to be late.”